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Vehicular storage assembly with electrical charger and methods of use and manufacture thereof

  • US 10,181,746 B2
  • Filed: 05/22/2015
  • Issued: 01/15/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A storage assembly for use with a vehicle, the storage assembly being configured for receiving an electronic device, the storage assembly comprising:

  • a housing defining an interior space, a top surface, and a front surface, the housing further includes;

    an upper recessed storage area including a charging surface and a plurality of walls, the charging surface being a recessed portion of the top surface, and the walls are rigidly fixed to the charging surface and extend away from the charging surface;

    a front cupholder structure at the top surface defining a pair of indentations that are open at the top surface of the housing and that include a solid bottom surface, and the front cupholder structure is disposed adjacent to the upper recessed storage area at a location that is fixed with respect to the upper recessed storage area;

    a rear cupholder structure defining a pair of indentations that are open at the upper surface of the housing and that include a solid bottom surface, the rear cupholder structure is fixed relative to the front cupholder structure;

    a hidden storage receptacle disposed between the front cupholder structure and the rear cupholder structure at a location that is fixed relative to each of the front cupholder structure and the rear cupholder structure; and

    a rear upper recessed storage area defined by a pair of parallel upper walls and a movable bottom surface, the movable bottom surface being movable between an open position where the movable bottom surface exposes at least a portion of the hidden storage receptacle and a closed position where the movable bottom surface conceals the hidden storage receptacle, the rear upper recessed storage area is disposed adjacent to the upper recessed storage area, and the upper recessed storage area and the rear upper recessed storage area being disposed between the rear cupholder structure and the front cupholder structure;

    a moveable storage receptacle that defines a movable storage area, the movable storage receptacle including a front exterior surface that defines a part of the front surface of the housing, the moveable storage receptacle being configured to move between a closed position in which the moveable storage area is disposed within the interior space of the housing, and an open position in which at least a portion of the moveable storage area is disposed beyond the interior space of the housing; and

    a wireless charger mounted to the upper recessed storage area and disposed beneath the charging surface of the upper recessed storage area, the wireless charger being disposed adjacent to the hidden storage receptacle, the wireless charger being disposed above the movable storage receptacle when the movable storage receptacle is in the closed position, the wireless charger being disposed adjacent to the movable bottom surface defining the rear upper recessed storage area when the movable bottom surface is in the closed position, and the wireless charger being configured to charge the electronic device if the electronic device is disposed on the charging surface of the upper recessed storage area.

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